Thunder beats Nuggets and heads to Western Conference Finals

In the series decider on Sunday, the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets 125–93, advancing to the NBA Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2016.

Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 35-point performance, the Thunder fed off their home crowd and used their physical edge to take control early, sealing a Game 7 win that closed out the Western Conference semifinal series 4-3.

The Thunder, boosted by key contributions from bench players like Alex Caruso, will face the Minnesota Timberwolves starting Tuesday for a spot in the NBA Finals.

The unexpected Eastern Conference Final will feature the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks, who knocked out the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and the defending champion Boston Celtics, respectively.

With this latest blowout, Oklahoma City avoided a second straight elimination in the conference semifinals, where it had entered as the clear favorite after dominating the regular season with an iron grip.

Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also came out on top in his matchup with Jokic, who finished with 20 points and nine rebounds, in a clash between two top contenders for this season’s MVP award.

"It feels great," Gilgeous-Alexander said after the win. "Obviously our ultimate goal is not just the conference finals but we have to get through there."

"Now we'll play a very good team like the Timberwolves and we're focused on that," said the Canadian, who averaged 29 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists in the playoffs.

Uncharacteristically, the NBA delayed the announcement of the MVP award winner until the end of the playoffs, during which Jokic averaged 28 points, 13.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists, though his usual efficiency dropped significantly.

The 30-year-old Serbian center showed clear signs of fatigue following a frustrating regular season for Denver and a grueling first-round series against the Clippers that also went to seven games.

Jokic is exhausted

In yet another do-or-die clash, the "Joker" sunk five baskets and had five turnovers on Sunday.

The center faced relentless pressure not only from towering teammates Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, both over 7 feet tall, but also from shooting guard Alex Caruso, who set the defensive tone for the Thunder with three steals and 11 points.

While Jokic boasts an individual record nearing the greatest, with three MVP trophies, the Nuggets have yet to advance past the second round of the playoffs since winning their first-ever championship in 2023.

The Nuggets forced Game 7 with a thrilling Wednesday victory in front of their home crowd but ultimately collapsed Sunday under the Thunder's defensive intensity.

In addition to their short bench, Denver was hampered by injuries to two starters: Michael Porter Jr. (6 points) and Aaron Gordon (8 points and 11 rebounds).

The power forward surprised everyone by starting and playing 25 minutes despite a hamstring strain sustained on Wednesday—an injury that typically takes weeks to heal.

Moving cautiously around the court, Gordon helped the Nuggets get off to a strong start, as their young guard Christian Braun (19 points) led the team to an 11-point lead in the first quarter.

But despite being the youngest team in the league, the Thunder maintained relentless pressure and quickly reversed the score with an 11-0 run, capitalizing on the Nuggets resting both of their star players, Jokic and Jamal Murray (13 points), simultaneously.

With Caruso bolstering the defense, Oklahoma City forced Denver into 22 turnovers compared to just nine for the home team, while Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams dominated the court with their scoring.

The home team led 60-46 at halftime and kept up the pressure until they were able to rest their starters with seven minutes remaining.